Valve mechanism



June 20, 1944. w. F. ENGEL VALVE MECHANISM Filed March 10, 1943 M M 21%mm. Q E N L Mm Y6 m Patented June 20, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT orricr.

VALVE MECHANISM William F. Engel, Berea, Ohio Application March 10,1943, Serial No.,478,633

3 Claims.

This invention relates to flush tank valve mechanisms, and particularlyto a. flush tank valve mechanism which will permit the draining eitherof the entire contents of the tank or a part thereof as desired. This,therefore, is the general object of the present invention.

A more specific object of this invention is the provision of a flushtank valve mechanism operable by a single control to empty either theentire contents of a flush tank or a portion thereof as desired.

At the present time flush tanks used in connection with toilet bowls aregenerally arranged so that the operation of a valve lever causes theentire contents of the tank to be emptied. At times, however, it isdesirable to use only a part of the water in the tank for flushingpurposes. It is an object of this invention to provide a supplementalvalve mechanism which may be attached to existing valve structures toenable a partial discharge of the contents of the tank without affectingthe normal flush operation of the existing structure.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become more apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyindrawing in which preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated.The essential and novel characteristics of the invention will besummarized in the claims.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a flush tank andthe valve mechanism thereof, illustrating one form of my invention; Fig.2 is a transverse section as indicated by the lines 22 on Fig. 1; Fig.3is a fragmentary view of a modified form of supplemental valvemechanism, the plane of the section being substantially the same as thatof Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a transverse section through the modifiedstructure as indicated by the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, it will be seen that I haveillustrated a flush tank l having an outlet II in its lower wall for thereception of an outlet fitting l2 which may be connected to the toiletbowl in the usual manner. The fitting I2 is provided with an upwardlyfacing valve port II and an upwardly facing threaded opening IE to whichis secured an overflow tube II which rises upwardly from the fitting sothat its open end is above the normal water level of the tank. The valveport It is selectively closed, in the usual manner, by a rubber ball orfloat valve carried by a stem 2i slidably in a guidewayformed in an arm22 supported by the overflow tube l1. Flushing of the tank isaccomplished by turning a handle 23, indicated bydotted lines in theupper portion of the tank. This handle isjoumalled in the tank wall andon its inner end carries a crank arm 24 to which is secured asubstantially horizontally extending lever 25. A link 26 depends fromthe outer end of the lever 25 and is provided with an eye 21 throughwhich the valve stem 2| extends. Thus when the handle lever 23 is swungto rock the lever 25 in a clockwise direction, the eye 21 of the link 26coacts with an enlargement 28 of the valve stem 2|, raising the valvefrom its seat. The valve 20being of the usual type of float valveremains open until the water in the tank drops to the level-of the valveport IL. whereupon the valve rests on the fitting l2 closing the portI4, and thereafter is held in place by the pressure of the water in thetank untl the operating handle 23 is again actuated.

The valve mechanism above described is of the type generally used inflush tanks.

The arrangement is such that consequent upon the operation of the handle23, substantially the entire contents of the tank flows is discharged.Immediate release of the operating handle does not afiect this dischargebecause the buoyancy of the valve member 20 retains it in an uppermostposition until the water in the tank lowers to a level beneath the topof the valve port. Flush tanks of the type described are ordinarilyequipped with a float controlled intake valve (not shown) that serves toautomatically refill the tank to the level indicated in the drawing.

The present invention is particularly concerned with a valve structurewhich will permit a portion only of the contents of the tank to beemptied without affecting normal function of the valve mechanismheretofore described. To accom plish this, I provide the overflow tubel'l, intermediate its ends, with an opening 30. I also provide a valvemechanism to normally close this opening, and which is operable by thecrank 23 tov permit the draining of the contents of the tank above theopening through the overflow tube without aifecting the port closingvalve 20.

As shown in Fig. l, I secure to the overflow tube ll adjacent'theopening 30, a valve seat member 3|, Pivotally secured to the upper endof this member is an arm 32 carrying a valve closing disc 33. The valveseat as shown in Fig. 1 is preferably angularly disposed relative to thevertical axis of the tube, that the weight of the arm 32 will retain thevalve disc 33 in a closed position. Interconnected between the arm 32and the operating arm 25, heretofore described,

isalinkll. Thearrangementoithislinkis such that the valve disc 33 isrocked away from its seat on the initialmovement of the operating handle23, thus permitting that portion of the contents of the tank above thedotted-line Ii to flow from the tank through the overflow tube. Due tolost motion between the link 20 and the valve stem 2| of themain valvell, the latter will not be removed from its seat during the partialrotation of the handle required to'open the valve disc 38. However, ifthe operating handle 23 is rocked through its complete swing, the mainvalve II will be opened in the usual manner.

In Figs. 3 and 4, I illustrate a modified form of supplemental valvemember. This form is particularly well adapted for use with existingflush tank structures. In this form the valve seat member Ila isarranged to be clamped in. position on the overflow tube I! by a clamp32.. The clamp 32 and the seat member Ila form in eflfect a split ringwhich is secured together and clamped about the tube I! by screws 36. Awasher, such as for instance that shown at 31, may be interposed betweenthe seat member 31a and the overflow tube "to maintain a tight jointtherebetween. Thus it will be seen that this form is well adapted foruse in connection with existing structures as it requires only thecutting of the opening 3| in the overflow tube l I.

I claim:

1. In a flush tank having an outlet fitting in its lower wall, saidfitting being provided with a valve port,- a valve member to close saidport, a vertically extending overflow tube in said tank and connected atitslower end with said fitting, said tube having an opening in itsvertical side wall, a valve seat member on said tube having a valve portin communication with the opening and spaced vertically from the mainvalve port a supplemental valve member carried by said member andadapted and arranged to close said second named valve port, an operatingarm, a connection between said operating arm and said supplemental valveseat, and a second connection including a lost motion device disposedbetween said operating arm and the main valve, whereby the initialmovement of the operating member y will open the supplemental valvewithout disturbing the main valve and whereby a complete movement ofsaid operating member also will open the main valve.

2. In a flush tank having an outlet therefrom, a float valve to controlthe flow of fluid from the tank through the outlet, an overflow tubemounted vertically in the tank and having its lower end in commlmicationwith the outlet, a valve port in the vertical wall of said tube spacedabove the main valve port, a valve seat member removably secured to saidtube adjacent said port and having a valve seat disposed at an acuteangle relative to the axis of said tube, an arm pivotally connected tosaid member, a seat engaging washer carrier by said arm, a rotatableoperating lever carried by the tank, an arm carried by said lever,connections between the arm and said float valve and valve member, andwherein said connections are arranged to permit sequential operation ofsaid valve and valve member.

3. A supplemental valve mechanism for the outlet of a flush tank havinga main valve, a main valve operating member and an overflow tube, saidsupplemental valve comprising a bracket adapted and arranged to beremovably secured to the overflow tube intermediate its ends, means toclamp said member in position on said tube, a valve member carried bysaid bracket to close an opening to be formed in the vertical wall ofsaid tube, said member being arranged and adapted to move to a closingposition under the influence of gravity, and a link connected to saidmember and connectable to the main valve operating member of the tank,and wherein said bracket and valve member are applicable as a unit tosaid tube.

WILLIAM F. ENGEL.

